A salon owner feels she is “clinging on for dear life” as the cost-of-living crisis piles on pressure.

Ashley Bitters is struggling to balance business and home life while battling the worst economic emergency since the 1970s.

The 41-year-old, who has a salon in Whiteinch, has been forced to put up her prices with a cut and blow-dry going from £29 to £40 in an attempt to tackle inflation.

Between losing clients who are also tightening their belts and her trebled electricity bill, Ashley is forced to work around the clock to break even.

Now she is speaking to the Glasgow Times as part of our Spotlight series, which has been raising awareness as to how spiking costs are hitting small businesses in the city.

Glasgow Times:

Ashley said: “It is stressful. You just feel like you are clinging on for dear life at times.

“With the cost of living I have noticed a big difference in my business. I had to put up the prices just to break even.

“I am always worried about what my bills will be this month and how I am going to pay wages.

“I have lost clients because I had to charge more, so between less customers and higher bills it has been hard.

“I have two wee babies at home and I am working night and day to just get by.

“We should be working to live, not living to work, but this economy makes it hard.”

Across the city traders in a variety of customer-facing businesses are telling how the costs they face are becoming overwhelming as there is no end in sight to the economic crisis.

Increasing energy costs are a huge problem for a business that needs round-the-clock power.

For Ashley she needs to be plugged in at all times as she uses styling tools, heating, and the kettle for cups of tea.

It means her bills have now trebled as a result with the current economy the worst Ashley has ever seen since being a business owner for almost 10 years.

Glasgow Times:

She said: “I used to leave the boiler on so the salon heating could turn on for me coming in and it would be nice at hot. I wouldn’t dream of doing that now.

“I am checking every switch and light constantly to make sure I am saving money.

“I even need to check if my lightbulbs are efficient enough to minimise costs anywhere I can.

“My gas has tripled. It was £16 a month and now it is £57. My electricity was about £30 and now it is £95.”

Ashley has noticed she isn’t the only one trying to cover costs as her clients are also sharing their own concerns.

The mum said she feels there is a “real fear” across all her customers as they also face sky-rocketing bills.

She added: “My clients mean so much to me. I know it is a struggle - not just for my salon but them as well.

“Getting your hair done used to feel like a necessity but now it is an absolute luxury. People need to put their electricity bills first.

“People are also stretching their appointments right out, so clients aren’t as regular as before. Some have even asked me to recommend box dyes.

“I have a mixed range of clients from old to young and you can see money is a big worry for everyone right now.

“There is a real fear. I hear it when people come in and get things off their chest during appointments.

“There is a real nervousness for people because we don’t know where the future lies.”

Many companies were hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic that plunged the world into lockdown in 2020.

Business owners like Ashley were left in debt as a result but hoped things would pick up after the world reopened, only to be met with the cost-of-living crisis.

Ashley said: “Covid put me in so much debt and now there isn’t a lot of staff, but I still need to pay wages.

“It is exhausting. If I didn’t love the job I would have had to have flung the towel in by now from stress.

“I am very much worried about how much worse this is going to get.

“Will it get to the point I need to shut my business down? I love what I do and my clients so I don’t want that to happen.

“I don’t know what is coming next and I know I am not alone, the cost-of-living crisis is hitting us all.”